Fastening device



,Jan-'18, 1955 l H. w.- PATTERSON 699955 .FASTENING DEVICE Filed sept. 2, 949

IN VEN TOR Unit States FASTENING DEVCE Herman W. Patterson, Overland Park, Kans. Application September 2, 1949, Serial No. 113,764

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-16) This invention relates to devices for fastening vines and stems, such as grapes, roses, tomatoes and beans to wire or other supports. It also relates to devices for tying bunches of vegetables, such as beets, turnips and carrots. It also relates to devices for tying bundles of small parts in the process of assembling for manufacture or storage, or temporarily holding parts together while glue is setting.

This invention may also be used for budding-the transplanting of a bud from one tree to another.

It may also be used for other purposes where it would be faster and more economical than to tie with string, wire, or other material, or to use ordinary rubber bands which must be attached by pulling the band over one end of the object instead of at the point of binding, such as can be done with my device.

This invention is an elastic band of rubber, or other suitable material, having two adjacent enlargements, or knobs, at one end. It is very simple in form and economical in manufacture and use.

When this band is used for fastening a grape vine to a wire, it is wrapped around both vine and wire and the band is fastened by thrusting the knobs through the loop formed at the end opposite the knobs. The elastic band is then under suicient tension to draw the loop tightly around the base of the knobs. This forces the tops of the knobs apart and outwardly over the loop to provide a positive lock.

The objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjllnction with the accompanying sheet of drawings, in whic Figure 1 is a perspective View of a grape vine attached to wire by means of my invention.

Figure 2 is a detached perspective view of the elastic band, showing the relative position of the knobs when the wall of the band is circular, as it would be when manufactured by the extrusion method.

Figure 3 is a detached perspective view of the elastic band showing the approximate relative position of the knobs when the wall of the band is partially collapsed and which is the normal shape of most rubber bands. This shows a slight increase in the angle between the knobs compared to the angle in Figure 1, due to smaller radius at base of knobs.

Figure 4 is a detached perspective View of the band showing the greatly increased angle between the knobs "lwhen the segments of the wall at the base of the knobs are pressed or drawn toward each other as they are when the band is used, as described above, as a fastener; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing another use for my invention in tying bunches of vegetables, such as turnips.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying Patent 0 drawing. This drawing and all description is to be regarded as mainly illustrative and that the invention may be embodied in various other similar devices and may be applied to a variety of uses.

As shown in Figure l, a grape vine 10 may be attached to a wire 11 by means of my novel fastening device 12. The fastener may be made in larger sizes to accommodate the attachment of vines to supports that are larger than wire. The band, being elastic, will not cut into the vine such as happens when using string. The rubber will deteriorate and oifer no resistance to removal of the vines for trimming at the end of the season.

In Figure 2, my device is shown in symmetrical form and as it might remain, until time of use, if made of some plastics instead of rubber. The substantially parallel sides of each knob 14 show that the forming channels in the extrusion mold can be made with a simple cutting tool, but the distance between the knobs is greater at the top than at the bottom and this provides a better lock than would a single knob which would have approximately the same dimensions at its top and bottom. The distance between the tops of the knobs is increased, as described above, when the band walls are collapsed as shown in Figure 4.

ln Figure 3, my device is shown in its approximate normal shape before using. The knobs 14 are at one end for easy handling and this relative shape and position of knobs can be controlled in the process of manufacture.

i Figures 4 and 5 show the loop 15. In Figure 1 the loop is behind the knobs 14 and does not show in the drawing.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily seen that I have provided a novel fastening device which can be very economically manufactured and which is very useful in horticulture and industry.

While I have illustrated and described my novel fastening device, it should be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the arrangements and details of construction herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not constitute a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as delined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, .I claim:

1. A fastening device comprising an endless band of elastic material, and a pair of closely adjacent elongated knobs formed integrally with said band and extending outwardly therefrom, said knobs being substantially parallel when the adjacent portion of said band is arranged linearly, and being adapted to diverge outwardly when the band portions at the distal sides of said knobs are urged together.

2. A fastening device comprising an endless band of elastic material, and a pair of closely adjacent elongated knobs formed integrally with said band and extending outwardly therefrom, said knobs being substantially parallel when the adjacent portion of said band is arranged linearly, and each has a cross-sectional area substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of said band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,282,468 Scheel Oct. 22, 1918 1,442,531 Mather et al Jan. 16, 1923 1,797,539 Arthur Mar. 24, 1931 1,945,932 Caley Feb. 6, 1934 2,087,786 Strauss July 20, 1937 2,226,409 Patterson et al Dec. 24, 1940 

